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I would recommend if you cannot easily get to a branch

I have always found Natwest online banking to be reasonably easy to use. The entry screen can be a pain, but mostly because it takes mental effort to remember which password and pin you have used, but it seems to be very secure as you have to go through 2 different stages and enter 3 different sets of information.

The site itself is easy to use and intuitive, although it can take a bit of effort to find the credit card specific services as opposed to your banking services.

To make a transfer you need a card reader which you can apply for online, this is useful and seems to be secure, although other online banking sites do not require this, and it is easier to make payments without using one.

All of your accounts are displayed on the home page, and you can see at a glance what the balance of your accounts, credit cards, and savings accounts are on the same page. You can also here select a drop down box to see your latest transactions, and from here you can view full statements, or for credit cards make a payment.

Other useful features on the website are that you can check what your interest payments will be on accounts, what your minimum payment is for your credit card, set up text alerts for making payments, and view a full statement and navigate through previous ones.

Whilst I always prefer to do any major transactions at the bank itself, this is a very useful service if you are not able to easily get to a branch, and is particularly useful for moving money between your own Natwest accounts.

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Occasionally I use Natwest online banking but only occasionally due to the fear of fraud. Unfortunately the whole online bank process is rather monotonous and cumbersome. To log in requires a great deal of effort that one would be better off to just go down the bank to perform any transactions. Arriving at the log in screen first you have to enter your customer number. If you happen to remember your customer number, you have to enter your password, however you can't just casual enter it, instead the log in screen will ask you for some random letters contained within your password, for example the second the fifth and the tenth. Trying to work out in your head which character is the second or fifth can be a real mental work out and so sometimes you just can't be bothered. Unfortunately this is partially due prevent fraud however this internet banking system has been poorly designed. It may be safe however there is no convenience. Other banks have managed to implement better online banking security.

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Good online site...

I've banked with Nat West for around 10 years now and been an online customer for probably half that time...

As with most financial services websites, you have your own unique customer ID, memorable data and pin number which you need to enter each time for you to view your account.

Recently they have set up a seperate credit card login so you can request your pin, request statements etc online whereas before you could only ever view your statement and pay your bill.

Natwest also has an additional security feature which you can download called Rapport, and essentially it will track any website where you are required to enter login details and it will block you entering the site if it considers that there could be a potential threat.

I've had this software on my PC for around 5 months now and its not blocked me from any websites but it does ask me to confirm if I want to enter a website that it cannot identify... I must admit that its an additional piece of security software which doesn't interfere with my usual security software...

On their website, you can also set up additional accounts, apply for mortgages and any of their other financial products..

I'm an online customer for 3 banks and I must admit they are pretty much the same. Natwest will list all your accounts in a summary page so you have a one page view which can be handy when you have several accounts

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5 stars

Natwest.co.uk is an absolute must for anyone. I use the site every single morning to check the bank accounts and credit card and I am set for the day knowing how much I have available in each of our accounts. I find using this site helps me to keep on top of bills and I always know when direct debits and standing orders are due to come out. Having once been in debt, I find doing this every single morning invaluable and I will probably always do it (unless I win the lottery, in which case I just won't care!).

This website allows commercial, business, private and personal banking all to take place in the same area, which were I to use any of the others alongside my personal banking, would make things much quicker and easier. I find the site extremely easy to navigate around, and following the option to download the latest rapport security software, I feel 100% safe in using this site. You can also search for branches and opening times as well as accessing all of the telephone numbers for different departments such as insurance, mortgages, credit cards and new loan applications.

If you have never used the site before and wish to register for online banking you will be sent an activation code through the post allowing you to register. Once you have registered, the site will give you a customer number which you will need each time you log in. You will then be asked to set up a pin and also a password. Each time you log in you will be asked for three different digits for both the pin and the password. Once you have entered these correctly you are then told the date and time of the last log in, so if this is incorrect you of course know that someone else has been accessing your accounts and can notify the bank immediately.

Once you are logged in you are given in a list, the balance and available amount of each account you hold with them and any credit card balances. I find this useful having all of this information in one area as we have joint accounts, individual accounts as well as savings and a credit card. Having all of this information in one place makes it easy to keep on top of things.

A new service they have launched is a savings goal, which allows you to enter a goal you have in mind and state what it is for. You will then need to enter when you would like to achieve this goal by, and it tells you how much you need to save each month, giving you a status bar showing how far you have got with the savings. It also tells you whether or not you will meet this goal based on the amount and frequency of your savings so far.

The site also allows you to check bank statements dating back six years, view pre advice of any charges or interest, search through your recent statements by transaction type, date, description or amount. You can also easily transfer money between your accounts and check direct debits and standing orders to see when they are next due. You can also make one off payments to any individual or company using a secure card reader whereby you insert your switch and then enter your pin as you would at a cash machine. You are then given a code and can make one off payments.

I use this site every single day and always feel the security measures in place are thorough and consistent. I would recommend this to any natwest customers not currently using the online banking service.

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Online Banking with Natwest, from someone who loathes banks!

I have a current account with NatWest that my money comes in and goes out of each month and when I signed up for it I also registered online with their Internet Banking facility. It was an easy process, just a case of filling in a form sending it off and waiting for them to send me a temporary password and my access code to enable me to log in to my account.

Once received I was able to register my details online, after inputting my customer number and temporary password I was prompted to change to one of my own choice and go about my banking needs. As a previous customer of Yorkshire Bank I was familiar with online banking anyway, but my first impressions of NatWest's system was very positive. It seemed more secure than Yorkshire Banks and a lot more user friendly allowing me access to my account and view credits and debits just at a click of my mouse.

I particularly like the ease of being able to transfer money from one account to another, with the recent updates to the banking system as whole transferred money now appears in other accounts within minutes rather than the 3 or 4 days it used to take. This makes working my finances out a lot easier for me and I am able to make sure I have sufficient funds in my account to cover my direct debits and standing orders. I can also view, amend and delete direct debits and standing orders should I wish to and I can view statements that go back months rather than having to sift through the paper statements that used to come through my door each month.

In the 4 years of me being a customer online with NatWest I have never witnessed any 'downtime' on the site nor bugs or glitches, and because I am quite obsessive about money now following a recent traumatic experience of being heavily in debt I can view my accounts daily whenever I want to see my balance or check that a direct debit has gone through.

I don't have anything other than a basic current account so my needs are more than fulfilled with NatWest; even if I had multiple ISA's or credit cards with them I would also be able to view these details online too. However I dislike and distrust all banks with such a vengeance that I refuse to save with any of them and I would never have a credit card again so I cannot really take full advantage of what I could do if I allowed them to have my money.

For 'normal' people without the history I have with banks I would certainly recommend NatWest's online banking, it is very user friendly, easy to navigate and is a powerful tool to have at your disposal whenever you need it. I feel the money in my account is secure and I have full control of my finances and bills and it provides me with everything I need to be able to monitor my account at all times.

Natwest.co.uk ranks a perfect 5/5 Dooyoo stars with me, I cannot find fault with it at all. My opinion on banks in general is the opposite though but I see this facility as a necessity and puts me in control rather than anything else.

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Everything you want from an online bank

I use NatWest for my business banking - we originally chose them as they were close to my home (so easy access for paying cheques in, etc), but mainly because they offer 2-years free banking when your business signs up for them.

They also offer an online banking service via their website at www.nwolb.com. After registering for online banking, you have to wait for a PIN and customer number to be sent to you through the post before you can actually use the site. These came through in a couple of days for me and the wait was no hardship. At first you'll need to log-in with your activation code, but after you've done this subsequent log-in are done by entering:

Once logged-in you'll be presented with a list of your accounts (including the balance, and money available) and a mini statement displaying the last 6 credit and debits to the account.

The site then features all the usual options you'd expect to have from online banking - you can view your statement and download the data to programs such as Quicken, MS Money and Excel, search for a transaction within a given timeframe, transfer money to different accounts and make payments online (including setting up standing orders and direct debits).

I find the NatWest site very easy to use can't really fault it. All the data is displayed in an easy-to-understand fashion. The design of the website is clear and crisp (using a mainly white colour palette with subtle shades of blue), although it isn't centred - hugging the left hand side of the screen when there doesn't really seem any need for it too.

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Best way to bank!

Came across the online website after a recommendation from a friend. With online banking at Natwest it just makes your life a little easier especially if you head to the bank often. You can do a certain number of things online that you may often end up going to the bank for.

Do you end up going to the bank to transfer money from your current account to your ISA? To do a bank transfer? Or just to check your statement? I used to do these things and now can do it all online.

You just need to register your bank details online and you have done it online banking for you! The thing I love about online banking is your balance is always up to date on the site. The security on the website is very strong as if you enter your password wrong twice then you have to set up online banking again.

Natwest has changed my banking life now with their online website. I no longer need to go to the bank for any statement now at all. I also have access to my 7 year old statements on the website to!

The website is just brilliant and now made my banking much more easier. There has not been a single time where the site has not worked for me neither. Using Natwest online is the best way to bank with them as its just too easy!

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Best way to check your bank account.

Natwest was the first bank account I ever opened up. I had a step account (whatever that means!) with a solo bank card. I soon realized that popping to the bank or the cash point every time I wanted a statement was quite hard work and worked out how to sign up to the internet and telephone banking.

You have to register and then wait for an activation code to be sent through the post. The downside to this is that you don't get instant access, obviously, but this doesn't make it more secure.

Once your activation codes come through the post you just have to sign onto www.natwest.co.uk, enter your activation code and set up your personal details etc. You chose a pass word and pin code. Make sure this is something that's easier to remember as if you forget it it takes some time to change it and means you will not have access for a while. Its also the code you will use when you phone up for over the phone banking too.

The biggest bonus about natwest online banking is that you can make fast transfers to accounts with other banks yourself and don't need to phone up to do this like with some other banks.

Natwest send you a card reader, and when you want to do something on the internet that needs some extra security you put your card in the reader and it gives you a pin code to enter into the internet to prove you are who you say.

I would recommend Natwest online banking as it is simple and easy to use, it is extra secure and you can find almost anything you need to on there, loans, credit cards, mortgages etc.

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I wouldn't recommend. There are far better out there.

Natwest - at the start at least - fulfilled my needs; I had a dormant Cash ISA account with them which was frozen due to inactivity. I was told that it could not be un-frozen, and instead I would have to create a new one. No problem there; I thought it would be a quick job. However ....

.....it wasn't. They changed the rules since the previous account was opened, and now they require you to have a Natwest Current Account open in order to "attach" the Cash ISA to. The more cynical side of me says that it's a cheap method to bolster the figures and hopefully lull you into using them instead of your current account (which in this case, was with HSBC.)

I allowed this, and sure enough, I now wanted to use the current account more often; the online banking and money transfer abilities were very good, well designed and a pleasure to use. The only trouble is, that pleasure was about to end when I decided I wanted more than the Solo card which was provided as part of the basic current account package; as I travel around Europe a lot, and Maestro is a useful option, I wanted to "upgrade" to a Maestro card. No problem, I thought; I'll walk into my local branch.

Which is what I did, this afternoon in fact; after queueing for 10 minutes to speak to the two customer advisors who were dealing with customers (and watching the queue forming to speak to the cashiers, 2 out of a possible 10 serving) I explained that I would need a Maestro card, and that as I have been - and still am - paying a good amount of money into the account, that should not be a problem. It seems I was wrong. The gentleman informed me that it was "up to the computer" (Little Britain, anyone?) and that he had no say in the decision; he tapped a few buttons and informed me that I had gone overdrawn ONCE in six months (for one day, which I also got charged twice for - once for the fact there weren't funds in the account, as I got my dates wrong, and once more for "going over my agreed limit" - which I find shocking. I got charge £68 for one mishap, which I wasn't happy about, but that's another story.)

For that one mishap, and as I "wasn't constantly putting regular funds in" - which is wrong as I indeed AM, and am no doubt making them a pretty penny in interest - I am not eligble for a Maestro card.

That's right, you read it right - I'm not eligible for a MAESTRO DEBIT CARD. The same ones they give out to students who don't have a penny to their name, and the majority of new account holders. I questioned why I'm not eligible for something that shouldn't even need eligibility, and got no satisfactory reply. In my eyes, I don't see why my hard earned money should be put into a bank which will use it to bolster it's coffers, and completely fail to address the only need I HAVE for the bank, which is the ability to access MY MONEY.

I'm currently shopping around to open an account with another UK Bank, as I feel totally dissatisfied with Natwest. On the surface they look good, but delve deeper and you have unhelpful staff who are just quoting a computer screen and a complete lack of good faith. Even with the credit crunch, I can't understand it as I've not even asked for credit - though they've offered me a credit card which I don't want!

I cannot recommend this bank, and would advise people to look elsewhere.

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An secure banking site which is easy to use

I have a number of different financial products with a number of different finance providers but my current account is with NatWest. This review is about their website rather than them as a bank. The website address listed at the top of this page is actually incorrect as their web address is:- www.natwest.com

as well as offering information on security & safety, online banking & a number of other areas. You can also use the site to find your nearest branch.

Natwest customers who have signed up for online banking access this information through the site. There's a log-in icon at the top left & once you've clicked this you'll be asked for your 10 digit customer number. This isn't quite as scary as it might sound as the first six digits are made up by your date of birth eg: 220680 & the last four are allocated by the bank. One you've entered that you'll be asked for 3 random digits from your pin number (which is the same PIN you use to get cash out of the cash machine) & 3 random digits from the password you picked when the online account was set up. You can therefore rest assured that this is about as secure an online bank account as you're likely to get.

Once you've entered these details you'll see a page which tells you when you last logged in. After this comes the Account Summary page which lists all of the accounts you hold with the Bank including any credit cards you may have with them. You can transfer money between these accounts & even pay all or part of the credit card without even leaving the comfort of your computer chair.

The other sections are:-

+ Statements: Allows you to view statements of all the accounts listed online & do online transaction searches. You can choose to stop receiving paper statements here.

+ Transfers: Allows you to make transfers between your Natwest Bank accounts, payments to another bank or another person's bank account.

+ Payments: Allows you to make single payments, set up standing orders, view or cancel direct debits and pay your credit card. There is also a bill management facility but I've never used that so can't comment on it.

+ Alerts: Lets you specify that you want an e-mail or text message to let you know when your statements are available to view. You can also change the e-mail address that you've registered with NatWest here.

There is also a card reader that NatWest send to you which will issue you with a code to authorise any payments you've made on your card. When I signed up for online banking using this card reader wasn't mandatory, although that may have changed by now.

Opinion:

This website contains an awful lot of information about accounts, credit cards, loans etc that is accessible to anyone who accesses the site. You can, for example, apply for a personal loan online but, obviously, this site only gives you information about NatWest products. It's not a price comparison website so if you're looking at loans, credit cards etc the best thing to do is use some sort of comparison site for the product you want & if NatWest are the best option apply for it online here.

I've never applied for a loan online so I can't comment on that. I did, however, apply for my NatWest credit card online. The process was simple & straightforward & went without a hitch. The credit card appeared along with my bank accounts on the Accounts Summary page almost immediately so that I was able to keep track of what I'd spent as soon as I started using it.

The online banking section is, in my opinion, really good. Not only do I feel that it's safe but I can also move my money between accounts, pay bills, see when direct debits were last taken, cancel direct debits, send money to other family members, view statements for all my accounts, set up & cancel standing orders etc. Money being paid into your account shows up pretty much instantaneously so there's no waiting around for the site to update). This section of the site is clearly laid out & is very easy to use. To be honest with you, these days the only time I visit a branch is to either pay in cash or cheques (last one from dooyoo!) or take some cash out of the cash machine. All the rest of my banking is done through the online banking section on this site &, in all the time I've been using it (well over 5 years) I've never had any problems with it. Friends who do online banking with other banks seem to have a much simpler logging in system, requiring less information than NatWest do. You may feel that that's more convenient, but, I'd rather spend a few more seconds entering another set of details if it means I feel that my online account is a lot more secure.

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Never thought I would switch to online- but so glad I did

I have to start this review by saying that I am going to be commenting on NatWest online banking- and however great or poor I am about to say it is, it should not be your first reason for choosing where best to place your hard earned cash.

Now, that's my conscience clear- so I shall tell you about my experiences of banking online with NatWest.

I used to be a fan of telephone banking and I never thought I would change from that, how wrong I was. I love banking online with NatWest, it feels very secure as they offer you a free online security download, as well as requiring you to enter a 10 digit number, 3 random numbers from a 4 digit security code and three random letters from your memorable word. I know that sounds long winded, but it doesn't take long at all.

I am a strong believer in managing your money well, and belong to the every penny helps school of financial management. This makes online banking a boon- as even if I can move some money into my savings account for a couple of weeks- it is all money. With interest rates so low at the moment, the benefits are not huge, but they are still benefits and they add up.

I can pay all my bills on line, and the best bit is there is no danger of me forgetting to pay a bill because I have left it on the side, as the remittance isn't due for a few weeks- I can tell NatWest when I want the money to leave my account.

To transfer money between my current and my savings account is obviously just moving my own money around , but as an added security when any of the money is leaving me- for example when I pay a credit card bill, I have a little gizmo called a card reader- I have to insert my NatWest debit card into the reader to authorise the funds transfer.

NatWest have in my opinion offered a great online service, not least because you can always talk to human beings if you want/need to, but also because they offer better savings rates to online users.

Let me now tell you a tale which supports the use of online banking in general.

One day I met a friend and she was wearing the most gorgeous new outfit, that I suspected had cost her more than a few pounds! I complimented her on the outfit and she grinned from ear to ear saying "I went to get some cash out of the ATM and saw on the balance that I had so much more money than I thought I had - so I went shopping- how great is that?" Now she is a good friend so I was not sure what I should say next- but decided honesty to a friend was the only option- " but didn't you just pay your council tax bill by cheque" I said- she just looked at me as if to say... "So?" "Well that cheque wont have cleared yet will it- so I was hoping you had allowed for that when you got excited over the balance". I won't bore you with the rest of the saga, suffice to say she was living on hot air pie and windy pudding for quite a while after that.

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A great website which makes online banking easy to use.

I have been using Natwest online banking for the past 5 years or so and find that it is a great, user friendly and efficient way to manage my money via the internet. I would go as far as to say that this website is one of the main reasons why I have stuck with Natwest over the years, I have previously banked elsewhere and as a student had a Barclays account which I could use online but I did not find it as good as the Natwest version.

Security=======

I do think it feels pretty secure, to get into my account I need to know both a unique 10 digit code which was issued at the outset, this is made up of my date of birth and a 4 digit add on so I have managed to remember it without writing it down anywhere. There is also a 10 letter password and each time you log in it just asks for certain letters from it, the 4th, 6th and 8th for example. Again I manage to remember this. Finally there is also a 4 digit pin which you can set and I chose to use the same number as the PIN for the card on the account so I know it off by heart.

Positives=======

Once you have navigated the various security and are into the account homepage you can see the equivelant of a mini statement for the account you are looking at. I have a linked e-savings account which is also listed here so depending on which account is highlighted on the front page I can see the last few days transactions for that account.

I set up the e-savings account via this website a couple of years ago. I wanted an account to act as a holding place for funds at certain times of the month which I could have instant access to and this seemed a sensible idea. There are a variety of financial products you can apply for once you are logged in which are listed in the main menu bar on the left of the screen. I just filled in the online forms and the info was sent to me in the post. Every month when I get paid I simply move a chunk into this account which is to cover DDs and the like which go out of my main bank account late in the month, I just move the cash back a couple of days before the payments start going, in this way I know that whats in my main bank account is mine and is not needed for anything else.

Transferring between accounts is immediate and you can either go into the formal transfers page to scedule transfers in advance or use the small box for 'quick transfers' which is on the main account home page. This moves the money there and then which is quite handy.

You can access statements going back up to 7 years online and can choose to download them in an excel table if you are wishing to sort the data or find particular transactions. I always find it is easy enough to just sift through them on screen to find what I am looking for, it seems to work very well and its brilliant being able to see every transaction listed clearly. I have actually chosen to no longer receive paper statements from the bank, I tend to log in to my account every few days anyway so keep a keen eye on whats going in and going out. You can manage the settings of your statements online too, ie stopping and starting paper statements and viewing upcoming charges and interest.

There is a whole list of things you can do under account admin, such as ordering new debit cards and cheque books and activating new cards too. You can also link to a Natwest credit card if you have one and change the details linked with this account.

There is a great payments section of this website where a full list of all the direct debits and standing orders which are linked to the account can be viewed, amended and deleted. This has proved very useful in the past when switching suppliers or stopping paying something, you can easily cancel it yourself without being dependent on the said company doing it for you. To make such changes the site usually asks for a further password confirmation to ensure security.

One of the great things about Natwest online is the card reader which they provide you with. This is a small piece of kit which looks like a calculator but is not much bigger than your card which slots into the top. If you want to do something major like set up a new standing order or add an individuals details to your list of payees then it will ask you to get the reader out and give you instructions to enter the code the reader gives you on the screen. This is an added security measure which ensures that the owner of the card associated with the account is genuinely making the changes. It works very well and is reassuring to me as the account holder.

Also on the payments page is the list of external payees who you have made one off or regular payments to in the past. It remembers all the details here so that if you ever need to pay them again you wont need to go through the card reader scenario described above again. This is useful when I want to pay an extra chunk off my credit card or move funds to family members and I use it frequently.

Problems=======

I have had a couple of problems with Natwest in the last year which seem to have been caused by a glitch on their system. Thankfully, because I use the online version and therefore look at my accounts frequently I spotted the mistakes and they were rectified but it was a bit annoying and inconvenienced me at the time.

Basically on two occassions within the past year I have moved money between my two linked accounts and subsequently been incorrectly charged £30. On the first occasion the £30 charge put me over my overdraft limit on my normal account and this would have resulted in a further £35 charge had I not seen the mistake and phoned the helpline. They apologised and immediately refunded the amount.

The same thing happened again a few months later but this time their system thought I had moved money from the e-savings account to the main account when the money wasnt there to move (I have no idea why - I had made a transfer successfully with funds in place) so they placed a charge automatically on the e-savings account of £35. This account has no overdraft at all so was showing as £35 o/d. I spent about an hour on the phone to an idiot who just kept repeating that I should not attempt to move funds when there was none in the account....eventually they refunded it and I got an apology from said idiots manager. I have better things to do with my time than argue the toss on this kind of thing.

Because it had happened twice I wrote a letter of complaint to my branch which was then lost by them following acknowledgement of receipt. 2 months later after another angry letter from me they did take the time to call me and apologise but they could not explain why the system automatically placed incorrect charges on my account. This is just something to be aware of, I noticed each time because I keep a close eye on my accounts but someone less cautious may not have done. To be fair they did refund and apologise on both occasions and it has not happened again.

My only other complaint (but I am sure this is true of any bank account) is it is sometimes very annoying how long it takes transactions to show on the account, I can buy something on a Monday and it not show up until the Friday. I can see there is a difference between the amount of the balance and the amount available but not the actual transactions which account for the difference. In general this just means doing the sums in my head of what I know I have spent which is not showing.

Overall======

I do think the online banking for Natwest is among the best and most useful and user friendly. There are very few things which I now need to visit my branch to do and therefore I find it very convenient. I do think it provides the user with a great level of control over and access to their finances and if you are on a budget like I am it is an essential tool to help manage your funds each month and not get into financial strife.

No bank is perfect and I have had my issues with Natwest - but as far as online banking goes I think they are one of the best available.

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An easy site on which to bank

I have been banking with Natwest for around 7 years now. I have been a customer of a couple of other banks but Natwest has always been my favourite and the one that I have my main account with and also now my ISA. Natwest offer online banking as one of their services and I think it is great. I have been using banking online for a few years now and can't really remember life without it.

Natwest online banking is available for anyone with a Natwest account. It is easy to sign up to an account and this can be done either in branch, on the phone or online. There are loads of different types of accounts with some being specifically online accounts. All accounts can be accessed and managed online though.

When you want to have online banking they obviously have to take a number of measures to ensure that it would not be easy for other people to access your online banking. When I first joined they sent me in the post a specific customer number that you must enter when you are logging in. This is your date of birth plus some more numbers afterwards. You also have to pick a four digit pin number and a 8 digit password. When you log in, it asks you to give specific digits, so for example the 4th digit. This makes you think a bit and is obviously a ploy to try and stop other people trying to guess your passwords etc. I do feel that the way that you log in is quite safe and I have never had any problems at all in this area.

One of the pluses of having online banking is that you can check your balance any time. Once you have logged in you will see in the middle of the page all of your accounts. I actually have three accounts with Natwest so these all in a list. Each of these states the account name, account number, sort code, balance and the available money. You can then click on the one that you want to look at. This will then display a mini statement to you. This is basically telling you any money that has gone in or out the account. This does not tell you where the money is from but does say whether it was a cash withdrawal or a direct debit etc. If you want to look in more detail at where your money has gone you can select view full statement. You then select the account you want to look at and for how long and the view transactions. This will show you in more detail where any money has gone or come from. On the main page you can also select view account details. This will show you all the account details including the address of your branch.

I think that it is great that you can look at your banking online. I am often worried about how much I have spent over a weekend for example and can have a look and see if I actually have much money left. I have also now signed up to online statements now so I do not get them sent to me in the post anymore. Not only is this great for the environment but it also means I don't have to have the shocking grand total of all I have spent for a whole month. I do like the fact that when you are looking online it tells you how much money you have in the account and how much you have available. Often I spend money on my debit card which doesn't come up on the statement straight away. It does though take this money out of the money available so you know how much money you have left.

It is easy to transfer money between accounts if you have more than one with Natwest. You can choose the quick transfer option on the left of the screen where you select the accounts you are transferring between and then the amount you want to transfer. This is transferred instantly. You can also choose the transfer tab on the left which is a little more complex.

If you want to make a payment to someone else or set up a standing order you need to have a card reader. This is sent to you by Natwest in the post. It is a small plastic item that looks a bit like a calculator that you can put your card in. When making a payment you have to put in all the details of the person or company you are sending to and how much money. It will also ask you to use your card reader. It instructs you how to do this so it is very simple. It usually involves putting the card in and then using the number from the reader to enter online. This does make payments more secure and makes you feel better about the safety of the site. The only problem I would say with this though is that I often bank at work and I don't always have my card reader so I have to wait till I am home to do this. You could always carry the card reader around but I don't think this is very practical.

One plus of Natwest banking online that I have found is how quick money gets paid to someone else. I have to pay my sister money each month for bills and this money goes from my account to hers usually within one day which I think is great. My boyfriend on the other hand uses a building society online banking and it sometimes takes a week for money to get to me.

You can use the main page to set up alerts to your e-mail or mobile phone. These are for things like when your statement is available online. There is also a tab for account admin such as verifying a new card or ordering a cheque book.

The site will log itself off if you are inactive for a while. This is good in case you accidently left your computer and someone came across it. Apart from internet banking Natwest .co.uk also has lots of information about all the services and products that they provide. There is also a help section in case you have any problems with any aspect of Natwest banking. Overall I think that Natwest.co.uk is a great site for internet banking. It is easy to use and I feel that it is also safe to use.

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Internet banking is a wonder of the new world and Natwest bring no complaints with theirs

First things first, internet banking is a lifesaver. i cannot think of a time before this function was available and have no memories whatsoever of queuing up for hours on end to process simple bank transactions in those lonely days without the world wide web.

However, with internet banking comes dangers such as fraud and spamming etc and as much I love internet banking I am always slightly paranoid that a nasty little phisher may scoop in and rinse my money.

So having several internet accounts, I recently acquired a Natwest one. With regards to password protection and logging-on I was kind of sceptical as security numbers/passes/questions seemed far less than in other acounts I have. However once on it's impossible to do anything other than checking your account without using a card-reading device manually. This is the same now with Nationwide and it gives me an added sense of security, even if it is a hassle to ensure I have access to a card reader when I need to bank.

Other than that, the site is easy to use, nicely presented and I have had no problems whatsoever.

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Anything that helps me track my finances is good as far as I'm concerned!

I have been using Natwest's online banking for the last three and a half months (roughly) and love the difference that it makes to keeping on top of my finances.

***Signing Up***Getting started with Natwest online banking is pretty simple. Once you have filled in your details, you are given a personal code that you need to keep handy as you will need it every time you log in. The first four digits are usually your birth year, followed by four other digits. You will also choose a PIN and password at this stage so keep those handy too. I don't remember receiving anything through the post in terms of an activation code.

***Logging In***To access Natwest online banking, there is a quite prominent box on the Natwest homepage. Click on this, and it takes you to the log-in page where you need to enter your personal code. Once you've entered this successfully, it takes you to a further page where you need to enter certain characters of your PIN and password. These will usually change each time you log in. For example, on one occasion you may be asked to enter the 2nd, 4th and 6th characters of your password, whereas the next time, it may be the 1st, 2nd and 8th characters. This is designed to make it harder for your PIN and password to be guessed by hackers and the like. If you enter the wrong PIN and/or password twice in a row, you will be locked out as a security measure. When this happened to me, I had to request a new personal code (which was actually exactly the same as the original one in the end). You can change your PIN and password whenever you like.

***Checking Your Balance(s)When you have logged in, the balance of your accounts are displayed on the 'home' page. Be aware that not all of your accounts will necessarily be available to view on online banking. For example, I used to have a Savings Direct account which could only be managed by telephone or in branch so I couldn't check the balance of this online. I can check my current account and ISA very easily though.

***Viewing Statements***The last few transactions show up for your current account, but if you want to view more transactions, you need to click the button at the bottom of the list of transactions. You can either view the whole list or search for specific transactions. To view transactions for your ISA (or just accounts that aren't your current account in general), you need to click on the specific account balance to bring that up.

***Making Transfers***You can quickly and easily transfer between Natwest accounts. There is a box to the side where you can select the accounts that you want to transfer money between, and then type in the amount that you want to transfer. The money will usually show up as having been taken from one account and moving into another straight away, although I have sometimes needed to log out and then log back in again for it to change the account balances accordingly.

***Making Payments***You can make payments to other people's accounts and pay bills, but Natwest like you to have ordered the Card Reader to do this as it gives added security. This is free and usually takes a couple of weeks to arrive. It looks like a pocket calculator in appearance. To use it, you need to put your Natwest card into it and enter your card PIN. Once this is verified, a code should come up that needs to be keyed in to confirm your identity. You are usually required to use the Card Reader whenever you want to make payments outside of your accounts (ie anything that isn't a transfer really).

***Direct Debits***You can view your current direct debit agreements, which basically lists who your direct debits and standing orders are going out to, how frequently this is and how much for.

***Security***I've already mentioned the Card Reader, but Natwest has another optional security feature. This is called Rapport, and needs to be downloaded to your computer. As far as I can tell, it runs in the background and lets you know if any possible hacking/keystroking could be happening to your passwords.

***Possible Problems***It works fine on Internet Explorer but I have recently switched to Google Chrome, which doesn't support it. This is worth bearing in mind if Chrome is your main browser. I think that Firefox and Opera do support it, but it's best to check as you may not be able to use Natwest.co.uk if your particular browser doesn't support it.

***Overall Thoughts***I haven't used the online banking systems for any other banks so I can't compare it to others. However, I find Natwest.co.uk very easy to use and haven't had any problems with it so far. It makes tracking my finances quick and simple, which is always a good thing in my book!